Day 21

Morning 

Big day coming, just woke up 6am 

10K climb

10K bigger climb

5K monster climb

Biggest climb of trip,  Glad we're more conditioned now than first day, which was almost this big and zonked a lot of people. 

Message from top later😊😊😊😊

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Climbing all day. Just below snow line for the night,,,, 75 degrees right now😋 gonna drop tonight.

Probably slow delivery of pic's

Story later

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Foncedabon

Made the climb,,, more later.  Need shower and nap.

Camino is changing😕

Buen Camino

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Sitting at bar in Foncedabon

Nice view,,, from one of three bars in a 5 building town.

Agatha's 8 toenails falling off. 

Sonya, Agitha, Bill at table

Later

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Answers to Margaret and Larry-- the "Perturbed Texan"

Gang will be gone, but stragglers will be coming up from behind. We might catch some folks coming back from Finesterre when we get to Santiago. Agitha hoping to continue after the toenails fall off.

Young Hanz and sister Elli (Finland) split up because her feet ( bad infections) forced her to go back home. He is flying down trail now. Others still on prowl. Bill and I have become the "trail dad's" to the youngsters as we are the old farts still on pace. When I wait for you in Sarria, I may get to see others from my age group rolling in!!!   Except G.A.Mel (AT lady) because she's the "trail mom".

We gained a lot of people in Leon, but gapped them by doing alternative, longer, rural route.  Forced back together at Astorga, which added many more people. Trails now filling up with tourists and bicigrinos. We are still working alternative stops and accomodations to avoid masses. 

The traffic is part of the change. The other part is the commercialism. Every monument has a vendor, every intersection has somebody hawking something. It's different now.

Now "the game" is picking out the pilgrims vs the tourists. Since we are over-running many start dates, there are people from days before to days after us.  We don't know everybody😎

I explained that I was getting to be a "perturbed" Texan with the bicigrinos, particularly with bicigrinos electruka.  A trekking pole thru spokes will solve the passing issues.  If they want to ride an electric bicycle, they can stay on the dang road! And they shouldn't get a Compostella. They started at Leon to Compostella via Bicicletta for 200K.

Too cold tonight to camp out at Cristo Ferro, so leaving before daylight tomorrow to be there for sunrise.

Buen Camino
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Wrap Up

That's right. Its official. Walking for 21 days, 3 weeks, everyday and still having fun.  I have been watching my Fitbit mileage. Bret has a Garmin watch device and we have similar daily numbers. Bill has been working the official route books. We are "officially" at 570K out of 775K. Our daily progress average is at 27K (16.8 milles) of trail progress so far. Wandering around town and other foot travel not included in average.

Today:

40,623 steps, 18.6 miles, 175 flights

Up, up and away. All up today. More up and then lot of down tomorrow. 

Cruz de Ferro in the morning. This is where the "burden" ( the stone) is left in the giant pile of rocks from around the world.

Our room-mates tonight are a late 60's couple from Germany They started from Pomplona 5 weeks ago. They are averaging under 10K per day and expect to get to Santiago in about 3 weeks,,, or so.   They have two bunks. All their stuff is organized on one bunk and they are curled up in the other bunk😍 Cute.

I convinced hospitalero to put "Chainsaw" and his wife in another room, so we only have 4 people in our 6 bunk room😉  "Chainsaw" is a big Korean guy that can saw down the room with his snoring!!!

l have literally had a couple gals come to my room to get some sleep at another Albergue.  They said they knew I snored at a tolerable level, unlike "chainsaw". "Chainsaw" was named and has been dodged for over two weeks now. At one Albergue it was really funny because 30+ people were in one big room and "Chainsaw" was in the mix as well as "Moaner". I bet you can figure out how she got her name. She's German. It's rather interesting. Earplugs have a purpose on the Camino!

Buen Camino